Chain-sickle mowing-machine.



G. 0. GREENFIELD.

CHAIN SICKLE MOWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men APR. 17. I917.

1,258,671. Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2 1 n 7 11" 11 a U). 11

D 20. 1, la 13 George 0. Greenfield 14. 14 INVENTOR.

1: BY %a/Wd1 6. 6' C 1* ATTORNEY G. O. GREENHELD.

. CHAIN SICKLE MOWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man APR. 11. I917- 1,258,67 1 Patented Mar. 12, 1918 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

G eat-ye O. Greenfield INVENTOR.

BY%n vid A TTORNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE O. Gm, OF VAN WICK TOWNSHIP, WHATCOH COUNTY, WASHINGTON.

Cm-SICKLE IDWING-IACHINE.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed Apr-i117, 1817. Serial Io. 188,858.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at I, Gsonon O. GREEN- rmw, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Van Wick townshi in the county of Whatcom and State of ashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain-Sickle Mowing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mowing machines; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a mower in which the cutting operation is erformed by a continuously moving sickle c ain running close to the ground; second, to provide a construction whereby the sickle sections may cut rass close to the ends of the cutter bar; thir to provide a sickle-chain tension adjustment; and fourth, to adapt the mower for attachment in front of an automobile from which said mower receives its power both for propulsion and operation.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings in which,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of my mower shown alone, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 1s a vertical section, on a larger scale, of Fig. 2 on the line 0-0, Fig. 4 is a vertical section, on a larger scale, of Fig. 2 on the line b?), Fig. 5 is a side elevation of an automobile, the major por tions of which are broken away or not included, and of my mower attached in operative relation, Fig. 6 is a sectional view, on a lar er scale, of Fig. 2 on the line aa, Fig. is a perspective view, on a larger scale, of one of the sickle sections, Fig. 8 is a plan view of a broken away portion of the central part of the cutter bars, not shown in Figs. 1 and 2, showing the adjustment joint 1n said bars, and Fig. 9 is a front/elevation view of Fig. 8.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several views.-

Certain parts are broken away for lack of space and certain parts are broken away to show others hidden thereby.

The main frame of the machine comprises upper and lower slideway bars, or cutter bars, 4 and 5 respectively, the ends of said cutter bars terminate in and are rigidly attached to housing guards 4, 4', side bearing and frame tubes 3, 3, rear bearing and frame tube 2, countershaft bearing and frame tube 2, arms 2', 2 connecting frame parts 2 and 2, and gear case 2 also connectin arts 2 and 2. Counter shaft 9 is mount or turnin inframe tube 2. On said countersha t is mounted a clutch sprocket wheel 9 engaging with chain 15. One part of a ositive clutch 9 is rigidly attached to sai sprocket wheel. A cylindrical part 2, Fig. 1, of frame member 2 has; a helical groove 2. On 2 is mounted clutch collar 10 which is made in two parts bolted together and has an inwardly-projecting pin or tooth engaged with groove 2. Collar 10 has an arm in which is housed pin 10 protracted by a spring. Pin 10 1s shown in Fig. 1 as engaged in a hole in a In 2 on gear casing 2. The left-hand end, Fig. 1, of collar 10 has an interior ring boss ongaged in an annular groove in the other part 9 of said positive clutch. Said clutch part 9 is shown in full lines in Fig. 1 as in engagement with clutch part 9 attached to sprocket wheel 9. Clutch part 9 is mounted for sliding on shaft 9 and is engaged therewith by a spline in the usual manner. In Fig. 1 the cap portion of collar 10 is mostlybroken away. Drive spur gear 9 is rigidly mounted on countershaft 9 and is housed in gear case 2". Shaft 11 is mounted for turning in frame member 2 parallel with countershaft 9 and cutterbars 4, 5. On the left-hand end of shaft 11, Fig. 1, is rigidly mounted bevel gear 11 in gear case 2, on its right-hand end is mounted bevel gear 11 in gear case 2, and between said bevel gears on shaft 11 is rigidly mounted spur gear 11 engaged with spur gear 2 in gear casing 2 In left-hand frame member 3, Fig. 1, shaft 12 is mounted for turning. Bevel gear 12 is rigidly on the rear end of shaft 12 engaged with bevel gear 11. Sprocket wheel 12 with cylindrical sheave 12 are rigidly mounted on the front end of shaft 12 in one of housing guards'4 Shaft 13 is mounted for turning in righthand frame member 3, Fig. 1, parallel with shaft 12 and in the same plane with and at right angles to shafts 9 and 11. On the rear end of shaft 13 is rigidly mounted bevel gear 13 engaged with bevel gear 11 and in gear casing 2. Sprocket wheel 13 with cylindrical sheave 13 are rigidly mounted on the front end of shaft 13 in chain relation with sprocket wheel 12 and in the other of housing guards 4. An endless sickle chain comprising back links 14, middle links 14" and sickle links 14 is engaged with sprocket wheels 12 and 13 and both upper and lower parts between said sprocket wheels are caused to slide in a slideway groove formed by the lower slideway bar 5, 5 and the rear edge of slideway bar 4. Said slideway groove is preferably substantially tangent to the lower sides of sheaves 12 and .13". Front chain links 14 are the flanged or turned-up ends of the shanks 14 of sickle sections 14. Said sickle sections comprise the shaflpened end 14, shank 14 and flange 14, an as the chain passes over sprocket wheels 12 and 13, said shanks-14 bear on sheaves 12 and 13 while the sickle sections on the central portions of said chain slide on each other and between slideway bars 4 and 5 with their cutting ends 14 protruding beyond the front edges of said bars.

A central portion of bars 4 and 5 and the sickle chain are broken away in Figs. 1 and 2. In Fi s. 8 and 9 a part of said deleted portion 0 said bars is shown. The oblique ends of bar 4 abut at 4 and are held together by screws through slotted holes 4 1n butt plate 4 and in tapped holes 4 in bar 4. The oblique ends of bar 5, 5 abut at 5 and are held by screws through slotted holes 5 and 5 in butt plates 5 and 5 respectively and in tapped holes 5 and 5. This construction permits the adjustment of the forward ends of shafts 12 and 13 to cause the roper tension in the sickle chain. In ig. 1 the right-hand end of frame member 2 has a flange 2 which .is fastened to gear case 2 with screws. Bevel shaft 11 by straight ey 11 and set screw 11 on the same. This method of fastening is used in order that 11 may readily be set at another place on shaft 11 when ad ustment ring 7 is increased or diminished in thickness. An adjacent ring 7 is placed between flange 2 and gear case 2'. he thickness ofiring 7 is suited to cause the shafts 12 and 13 tov be parallel after properly adjusting the tenslon of said sickle chain. Guards 4", 4, etc., are rigidly fastened to bars 4 and 5 and serve to retain said bars in proper relation. But said ard do not serve as shear plates for the sickle sections. Guards 5", 5", 5", 5', are fastened to bar 5 and serve as shear plates for said sickle sections the same as the guards of an ordinary mower cutter bar. Each of guard housings 4 comprises a hollow body partly covering one of cylindrical sheaves 12", 13 and sprocket wheels 13, 13 and joining the ends of bars 4 and 5 and also being fastened to the forward end of one of frame members 2 and 3 and has a guard 5 fastened to its lower side which serves as a shearin plate for the sickle sections. The ends 0 upper bar 4 are widened where they become a part of the uard housings 4, 4, the upper side of said ousings being over the ends of the sickle sections as they pass vertically gfar 11 is fastened to to the front end of said s struction causes grass caug t by the sickle sections as they pass under the up er part of housing guards 4 from the outside to be carried forward by the widening edge of bar 4 until said grass is freed from engagement with said sickle sections. But said sickle sections as they enter or leave the lower side of .said guard housin can cut all grass between guards 5, 5 an 5. Gear case 2 has a boss 2 diametrically opposite boss 2* having a hole for pin 10 when collar 10 is in its dotted-line position at 10'. When said clutch collar is turned to its dotted position the parts of the clutch are separated, causin the machine to be out of gear, and said collar can be retained in t is position by the engagement of said pin in boss 2".

The mowing mechanism described is attached by two hangers to front axle F of an automobile having front wheel C, rear wheel D, main shaft G, chassis E, fore-board B,

and body A. Said hangers have arms 8",

8 braces 8, 8 and standards 8, 8, and are clamped to said axle with bolts through said arms and braces, Fig. 5. Two journals 2, 2 Fig. 1, on frame member 2 are mounted for turnin in boxes 8'', 8 fastened to the lower ends 0 han ers 8, 8 parallel to axle F. In these boxes t e mowing mechanism is free to turn from its illustrated fullline osition to its dotted-line position, Fig. 5. river s rocket wheel H is fastened to rear automo ile wheel D. The location of sprocket wheel 9' is such as to bring said wheel and wheel H in chain-driving relation when the mowing machine is properl attached to the automobile. S rocket whee H and 9 are connected by c ain 15 which transmits power from said automobile to said mower. The near. standard 8, Fig. 5,

has an upward extension 8 the upper end of which has bearing 8 in which the front end of shaft 18 is mounted for turning. The rear end of shaft 18. is mounted in a bearing on the upper end of standard E fastened to chass1s E. Ratchet wheel 18 is rigidly mounted on shaft 18, and pawl 18 is pivoted on standard E in engagement with said ratchet wheel. Hand crank 18 is rigidly attached to the rear end of shaft 18, and drum 18' is rigidly attached aft. A lead sheave 8 is mounted for turning in a housin fastened to standard 8. A ooved segmen al bracket 6 is rigidly attached to frame member 2 in a plane with said lead sheave and drum. One end of a cable 6 is'fastened to drum 18 while its other end is fastened to segment of sheave 6 after being riven back of'lead sheave 8'. By tum- 10 tion, Fig. 5. Saiddo can retain the mower in said position unt' the d is raised out ofengagement by pulling on 16', which is fastened to the rear end 0 string 16 which passes over sheave 8 on standard 8 and has its forward end fastened to said %hen my mowing mechanism is attached to an automobile as described, with its several parts in their illustrated full-line positions, the running automobile will cause the sickle sections to pass rapidly by each other in shearing relation between the cutter bars 4 and 5 with the sharpened ends of said 1 sections extending beyond the front edges of said bars and thus produce a continuous Cutting efiect well adapted to: mow grass. During the cuttin operation the cutter can be raised, retaine or lowered at will from said automobile by aid of crank handle 18 a and connected mechanism without retardbe retained in its position at 8' by dog 8.

I claim g In a chain-sickle mower, in combination, a pair of parallel shafts on the front ends of which are rigidly mounted a pair of sprocket wheels and on the rear end of each of which is mounted a bevel gear; an endless sickle chain mounted on said wheels; a rear shaft at right angles to said parallel shafts on the ends of which are rigildl mounted bevel gears engaged with sa1 connecting said bearings; a housing ard over each of said sprocket wheels rigid y atmeans to adjust the distance between said parallel shafts.

Signed at Bellingham in the county of Whatcom and State of Washington this 10th day of April, A. D. 1917.

GEORGE O. GREENFIELD.

said cuttin o tion. When said operation is fini ieme machine is thrown out of gear by clutch collar 10 and can sprocket vel gears on said parallel shafts; v bearings for said shafts; a frame rigidly 

